


I Like Everybody

by MiniNephthys



Series: Unlikely Hero [2]
Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Yggdra Union
Genre: F/F, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 03:38:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pamela stops by Saber's house, a little late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Like Everybody

It takes Saber a moment to place the girl in pink standing outside Shirou's home. She knows she's seen that hat and broom before, but it isn't until the girl asks, "Is this where you live, Saber?" that she makes the connection.

"Lancer's Master." Specifically, the Master of Lancer from the previous Holy Grail War. Saber brings back the memories. "Pamela was your name, wasn't it?"

Pamela beams. "Correctamundo! Won't you let Pamela in?"

Shirou is at school, and this girl used to be an enemy who had knocked out all the Assassins at once with magic not even her Servant had recognized.

She was still a non-threatening enemy who had encouraged her Servant to assist Saber when she could and, when Lancer was defeated, simply sat on the ground crying until Saber and Irisviel let her be. It might be reckless of her, but Saber is not particularly worried about what she will do now; besides which, she doesn't want to discuss the Grail War out in public.

"Come in," Saber says.

Pamela follows her inside and sits across from her on the floor when Saber leads her to the living room... actually, sits is too strong a word, as she doesn't make any effort at sitting politely and sprawls out instead. "This place is nice. It's much cleaner than Pamela's base with Diarmuid was, too."

"What brings you here?" Saber asks. "Do you intend to take part in the Grail War again?"

"At first, I thought I would, to study the Holy Grail; I didn't get a chance to with the way the last war turned out, and it looks really really interesting. And Pamela has lots of wishes!" Pamela looks down at the floor. "But really... I just wanted to see Diarmuid again. That's way more important."

Saber knows Diarmuid wasn't summoned in either of the Lancer or Saber classes she qualifies for. "Then...?"

"Pamela showed up too late to summon anybody." Pamela looks a little sheepish. "It's hard to get time exactly right when you're traveling! In the same month is usually close enough... Anyway, she wouldn't have remembered Pamela from last time, right? So this is less depressing. Maybe summoning you would be better, since you remember."

Saber considers the frustrations that must come from being summoned under such an eccentric Master. Then she considers the frustrations that come from being the Servant of Emiya Shirou. They're comparable. "I am sorry to hear that you two could not be reunited. However, I already have a Master."

"Is it that nice lady from before? Pamela liked her a lot."

An ache forms in Saber's chest and she hesitates to answer. "...No. She did not survive the last war."

Pamela gets a little quieter. "Sorry. ...It must hurt, thinking about it." There's confusion in her voice like she's still puzzling out what she's saying.

Saber shakes her head once. "You couldn't have known."

"But it hurts. Like when Pamela thinks of Diarmuid sometimes." Pamela speaks plainly now, and it confuses Saber even more.

"If it hurts you, why do you not try to take revenge upon me? I have seen your abilities once, and you would be able to at least do me harm. But even after her death, you allowed me to walk away." It doesn't make sense to Saber at all.

Neither does her question seem to make sense to Pamela, as she tilts her head to one side. "Diarmuid wanted to fight you in a duel because she liked you so much. If Pamela hurt you for revenge she'd be mad about that, and if Pamela got hurt she'd really be mad 'cause that was dumb to do."

"...I see. She was quite blessed to have you as a Master." Saber is almost envious.

Pamela smiles at that, more gently than is usual for her but still as genuine. "It was way better to have her as a friend. The very best ever."

A lull falls in the conversation.

"Are you hungry?" Pamela asks.

"A little." Saber rarely feels completely full.

"Then Pamela will make you something." Pamela holds her hands in front of her and begins muttering, and Saber is alarmed before she sees that a single apple has appeared on the floor in front of her. "Catch!"

Saber catches the thrown apple easily and considers, more immediately than what magic could create an apple so suddenly, whether or not it's poisoned.

Pamela pouts at her. The sad eyes and pointed frown are incredibly effective on her. "You're not gonna eat it? You said you were hungry..."

Against that kind of expression, Saber has no defense. She carefully takes a bite of the apple: it's the most juicy, delicious fruit she's had in living memory. She takes another bite while Pamela claps her hands together and smiles.

"Pamela," Saber asks, between bites, "where are you from?"

"Yumira. It's a world in a gap in time and space." Pamela rests her chin on her hands and watches Saber eat. "Pamela hasn't been living there for at least... twenty years, though. It's hard to keep track of time sometimes."

"You don't look twenty years old," says Saber.

"You don't look dead... years old." Pamela sticks her tongue out at her. "Don't go calling people babies just 'cause they don't keep track of how old they are."

"I never said anything like that." Saber's ears perk at the sound of the door - Shirou is home. "Thank you for the apple, but my Master is home. I must ask you to be off as soon as possible."

"Fiiine." Pamela gets to her feet, wipes her dress off, and bops Saber gently on the head with her broom. "Don't go losing now! My Diarmuid wouldn't like that."

She passes Shirou on her way out the door, not giving him any notice. Shirou stops to watch her leave and turns to Saber in silent confusion.

Saber simply shrugs. "That was a long story passing you just now."

"I'll bet..."

"Would you like the rest of this apple, Shirou?"


End file.
